Rabbi Steinman kicked off the session with an introduction of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and the major issues faced by the LGBT community. Rabbi Steinman urged the session participants to think about the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals that go beyond the issue of same-sex marriage. What happens when a woman is legally married but is fired for having a picture of her wife on her desk at work? Members of the LGBT community deserve to be recognized and protected equally under the law.

A text study, led by Rabbi Schwartzman, focused on the many texts that encourage the Reform Movement to continue to push on towards LBGT equality. Rabbi Schwartzman was an active proponent of a non-discrimination state bill in Utah called the Housing and Employment Antidiscrimination Amendment. This past March, Rabbi Schwartzman worked with the RAC and Equality Utah to build support for the legislation and submitted testimony at the Utah Senate Workforce and Economic Development Committee hearing, comparing this issue with the Jewish plight of discrimination.

To close this powerful session, Jeremy Gimbel led the participants in singing the words of Pirke Avot 2:16,“lo alecha hamlacha ligmor – You are not required to complete the work, nor are you free to ignore it.”

About Sophie Golomb

Sophie Golomb is a 2013-2014 Eisendrath Legislative Assistant at the RAC. She graduated in 2013 from Brandeis University and is originally from Brooklyn, NY where she is a member of Brooklyn Heights Synagogue.